Wisden Cricketers' Almanack 2010: Amazon.co.uk: Scyld Berry: 9781408124666: Books Wisden Cricketers' Almanack 2010 Add all three to Basket Buy the selected items together This item:Wisden Cricketers' Almanack 2010 by Scyld Berry Hardcover Â£45.00 Only 1 left in stock (more on the way). Sent from and sold by Amazon. FREE Delivery in the UK. Details Wisden Cricketers' Almanack 2011 by Scyld Berry Hardcover Â£42.30 Only 1 left in stock (more on the way). Sent from and sold by Amazon. FREE Delivery in the UK. Details Wisden Cricketers' Almanack 2012 by Lawrence Booth Hardcover Â£30.00 Only 1 left in stock (more on the way). Sent from and sold by Amazon. FREE Delivery in the UK. Details Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought Page 1 of 1 Start over Page 1 of 1 This shopping feature will continue to load items.

In order to navigate out of this carousel please use your heading shortcut key to navigate to the next or previous heading. Enter your mobile number or email address below and we'll send you a link to download the free Kindle App. Then you can start reading Kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required. Apple To get the free app, enter your mobile phone number. or Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here , or download a FREE Kindle Reading App . Product details Publisher: A & C Black Publishers Ltd; HB edition edition (15 April 2010) Language: English Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 5.6 x 16.6 cm Average Customer Review: Product Description Review 'There can't really be any doubt about the cricket book of the year, any year: it's obviously "Wisden"' --Andrew Baker in the "Daily Telegraph" 'A charming read!' --Hartlepool Mail - 2010 About the Author Scyld Berry Mayfield is an international expert on cricket. What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?

By Quiverbow TOP 1000 REVIEWER on 14 April 2010 Format: Hardcover Well there's something I didn`t expect to see; the opening fixtures of the domestic season have already been played and it hasn't rained. The second bit of good news is that the 147th edition of Wisden is now available. It isn't really worth going through what this book contains, as those of you whom are no doubt perusing its pages know what it contains. However, for those unfamiliar, in a nutshell it's 1728 pages of match reports and figures pertaining to last season at home (April to September), with a similar section for overseas cricket (January to December). Sounds boring, I know, but you really cannot put this book down. The editorial in the first part is what you have come to expect, including an excellent piece on cricket during WW2, and the usual complaints from Scyld Berry - and rightly so - this time concerning the ludicrous decision of the ECB to ditch the 50-over tournament; something Duncan Fletcher also sees as short sighted in his two page article on the very same subject.

Nevertheless, as each year passes, it gets harder to include everything in the way the publisher and editor would probably wish. (Moreover, who knows what 2012 will bring when the ECB can't even decide the format of next season.) My only gripe is that this edition of Wisden was issued after the season had started, which isn't really the fault of the publisher; it's more a problem with those who administer the game not knowing what they're doing. Will the institution that is Wisden be around for many more years? I hope so, but I fear that as the sport of cricket consumes itself with overkill - the minimum number of matches played by each county this season is 44, as opposed to 34 last year - everything connected will go the same way. By Susie on 23 Sept. 2010 Format: Hardcover We have been purchasing Wisdom as a family since its inception but regrettably have a few years missing around the time of World War 11. I think that speaks for itself. A wonderful record of cricket for the enthusiast and amateur alike. It sits on the table by my husband's chair during the cricket season.

In recent years it is son and grandson who are involved in Irish cricket. Comment 3 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback... Thank you for your feedback. Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again By R. M. N. Green on 24 April 2010 Format: Hardcover Verified Purchase This Edition of Wisden is more than fifteen times larger than the 19th Century Original Edition - 112 pages to 1728 pages. In the short time I have had the Almanac in my possession, it has been impossible to review it in detail, in fact I have normally taken at least a year to go through recent Editions, this one posssibly longer. Scyld Berry is the latest in a long line of Editors and he has produced an Almanac which maintains the high standards of previous ones. I would like to see the 2011 Almanac, at least, no bigger than the current one as I am beginning to run out of shelf space ! Comment One person found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback... Thank you for your feedback.

Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again By S. R. Pitcher on 10 May 2010 Format: Hardcover Verified Purchase Really excellent read, right up there with it's historic predecessors. Gripping account of the dreadful events of last year's terrorist attack on the SriLanken Team bus in Pakistan and as usual the brilliant obituaries which are a must read. Great editorial pieces from Scyld Berry maintain the very high standards set by Matthew Engels, John Woodcock and the Prestons. Thoroughly enjoyable/ Comment One person found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback... Thank you for your feedback. Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again Rob Steen: The man who should have been a Wisden Cricketer of the Year | Cricket | ESPN Cricinfo Wisden radically chose to pick four cricketers of the year for 2010.

But they could have gone further and picked a player who showed immense courage off the field 20 Steve Davies: His decision to come out as gay may just may give heart to other cricketers who have stayed in the closet for fear of negative reactions © Getty Images As a statement of heartfelt principle, it defied argument. As one who holds the game dearer than anyone I have ever met, Scyld Berry's decision to break with tradition and trim Wisden's Cricketers of the Year by 20% was worthy of at least four cheers. As a departing gesture from an editor who occupied cricket literature's loftiest throne with distinction, if all too briefly, it was anything but empty. It was entirely in keeping with Berry's brazen approach to innovation (we are talking about Wisden, which until the 1990s had moved with all the urgency of a constipated snail).

On debut in 2008, he commissioned no fewer than nine past or present players to write essays, reflecting his desire to make the yellow bible "more of a cricketers' almanack"; among his quintessential quintet of 2009 he dared to name Claire Taylor, a woman; now, amusingly yet astutely, he has dubbed the Flower-Strauss axis "the Andocracy". This final snook at convention also emphasised Berry's zero-tolerance of match-fixing and match-doctoring (as we henceforth ought to de-dignify the crime known as spot-fixing). Nor was it cocked easily. As David Hopps put it with typical erudition in the Guardian, Berry "was torn between not wishing to stigmatise… ahead of a criminal trial… and the wish to pass moral judgement on a tainted cricketer". And no, he undermined his cause not a jot by electing not to mention Mohammad Amir by name (learned friends were doubtless looking over his shoulder, though perhaps he simply couldn't bring himself to type it, such was his disappointment). But he still didn't go far enough.

Some will maintain that, while he was about it, he should also have removed the names of Mohammad Azharuddin and Saleem Malik from the scroll of past Cricketers of the Year (fortunately, Hansie Cronje was never so honoured). To this bonfire of the insanities many would add Shane Warne and Mark Waugh, whose willingness to trade information, however mundane, for crisp greenbacks remains an especially thorny issue for subcontinental aficionados, and justly so. To dwell on this budding Hall of Infamy, though, is not terribly constructive. No, my small, almost shame-faced misgiving lies with the opportunity Berry missed to celebrate one of the grand old game's proudest yet neglected moments. It may have been overshadowed by the World Cup (the timing, in other words, was pretty much perfect, ditto the way the "Andocracy" handled the affair) but Steven Davies ' courage in coming out to his England team-mates last October, and then taking his homosexuality into the public arena in late February, the first active professional cricketer so to do, is worthy of our gratitude and admiration every bit as much as the alleged misdeeds of certain Pakistanis warrant our dismay.

Context is all, and the British context is particularly illuminating. Look at the major team games, where the deterrents are greatest. The only active openly gay professional rugby player from these isles has been Gareth Thomas, a Welshman who bared all in 2009 while winding up his illustrious career. His lone footballing counterpart, Justin Fashanu, was tormented by his manager, Brian Clough, and ultimately committed suicide. Jon Amaechi, one of the few Britons to bounce his way to the NBA, came out only after retiring. As did Alan Hansford, the lone county cricketer to declare his homosexuality. Fuelled by testosterone and oiled by machismo, professional sport remains a haven for the homophobe. Writing in the Guardian under the nom de plume "The Secret Footballer", an anonymous English professional recently contended that integrating one's gayness into a dressing room need not be fraught with insurmountable problems. "I'm pretty sure a gay player would have few problems coming out to his team-mates if he were offered a hypothetical 'nobody outside the team will ever find out' clause.

It isn't because we're a superior breed… it is because we're all about looking after ourselves and, consequently, we try not to get too involved with other players' trials and tribulations. The changing room is a very harsh place to survive - say what you like about footballers' lack of intelligence (and people often do), the banter is razor-sharp and anything out of the ordinary is seized upon in a flash. But this is precisely the reason why a gay player would feel comfortable coming out here. A footballer is a footballer, it doesn't matter if you are black, white, straight or gay, players are at ease in this environment, where they are used to piss-taking." It was that pretence, that contradictory double existence, that Davies couldn't bear, but what of those who lived in less tolerant times and felt they had no option but to endure? In soccer, where audiences and emotions run higher, it is the fans, rather than team-mates, who do most to induce hesitancy.

Anton Hysen, an American-bred, Swedish professional who smacked all manner of gobs by coming out last month ("When you consider dumping a supermodel you know you are gay"), told the BBC's Tim Franks about his first brush with hate mail: "I just got mail from somebody who lives around here [Gothenburg]. He said, 'I'm never gonna come to your games again because you got a faggot on your team.' It was hate mail. He started like this: 'Hey you ugly fag, I'm not going to watch your games anymore because you have ruined my life. I'm not going to watch football no more.' I'm like, okay, what do you want me to do? Do you want me go cry in a corner for you? I don't get it." Is this is a factor in the reluctance of cricketers, especially those from the more homophobic societies, to out themselves? Perhaps. More significant, as Davies was at pains to stress, it was the uniquely claustrophobic demands of the all-lads-together touring life that he found impossible to come to terms with, forcing his hand.

"If I am brutally honest," he admitted, "I've never enjoyed touring because of my secret and having to conceal my sexuality. My friendships with the guys would reach a certain level, then I'd have to take a step back. A two-week tour would feel like two years for me. It was really tough. Cricket was my escape. When I was playing cricket I was at my happiest because all I had to worry about was getting runs and taking catches." The next test, the ultimate test, will be the opposition. Or rather, the opposition captain. Will they give explicit instructions to their charges not to use the g-word (or h-word or p-word or whatever) when sledging him? Will they abrogate their responsibilities and leave it up to the individual conscience? To dismiss this as anything less than a delicate matter would be to drastically underestimate the difficulties faced by those forced into a life of pretence, let alone those who make giant leaps for sportingkind. It was that pretence, that contradictory double existence, that Davies couldn't bear, but what of those who lived in less tolerant times and felt they had no option but to endure?

One can only guess at their identities (and there has been no shortage of conjecture on the county circuit, the subjects numbering at least one captain and a Test player), but one who may conceivably have had to divide himself in this torturous manner was Stuart Leary. An allrounder's allrounder from Cape Town, the popular South African distinguished himself for Kent CCC and Charlton Athletic FC between 1951 and 1971 but took his own life in 1988. In By His Own Hand, a brave and tender study of cricketing suicides, first published in 1990, David Frith mentions Leary's fondness for resting a hand on a colleague's knee whenever team photos were being snapped. At the time of his demise - "according to three people who knew him" - Frith depicts him as "not only apprehensive at the nationwide investigation into juvenile vice but feared he was infected by the dreaded disease AIDS". These exhibits prove nothing, of course, but how suggestive they sound. And how dreadfully sad. Now Davies has had the cojones to tread fresh, cleansing, honest ground.

Others, at all levels and on other sporting fields, will be emboldened and inspired, not least by the mature and relatively sober response that greeted his coming out. But while Mike Atherton claimed it was no hardship for the touring press corps in Australia to keep schtum about Davies' revelation to his team-mates because it was "no big deal", this diminishes the wicketkeeper's dilemma. It was a big deal. A very big deal. To do what Davies did, to be the first over the top, was one of sport's more heroic acts. That's why he should have been Wisden's fifth man. No, that heroism did not occur during the English season (hence Alastair Cook's omission from the 2012 fivesome). Yes, it would have meant waiving the rules - but hadn't Berry already done that by nominating a quartet? Memo to his successor, Lawrence Booth: please make amends. Rob Steen is a sportswriter and senior lecturer in sports journalism at the University of Brighton © ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

Wisden Cricketers' Almanack Explained Wisden Cricketers' Almanack Wisden Cricketers' Almanack Explained Wisden Cricketers' Almanack (or simply Wisden or colloquially "the Bible of Cricket") is a cricket reference book published annually in the United Kingdom. It is considered the world's most famous sports reference book. [1] The description "bible of cricket" was first used in the 1930s by Alec Waugh in a review for the London Mercury . [2] In October 2013, an all-time Test World XI was announced to mark the 150th anniversary of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack. [3] [4] [5] [6] In 2012, an Indian edition of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack was launched (dated 2013). [7] History Wisden was founded in 1864 by the English cricketer John Wisden (1826–84) as a competitor to Fred Lillywhite 's The Guide to Cricketers .

[8] Its annual publication has continued uninterrupted to the present day, making it the longest running sports annual in history. The sixth edition was the first published under its current title; the first five were published as The Cricketer's Almanack, with the apostrophe before the "s". Charles Pardon , with George Kelly King, founded the Cricket Reporting Agency (CRA) in 1880. From Pardon's becoming editor of Wisden in 1887, the editor was nearly always a CRA partner and the CRA was responsible for the editorial production of the Almanack, until in 1965 it merged with the Press Association (PA). [9] Wisden was acquired and published by Robert Maxwell 's publishing conglomerate, Macdonald, in the 1970s. Cricket fan Sir John Paul Getty, Jr. bought the company, John Wisden & Co, in 1993 [8] and in December 2008 it was sold to A&C Black, which is owned by Bloomsbury .

The company presented the Wisden Trophy , for Test matches between England and West Indies , in 1963 to celebrate its 100th edition. In 2013, a history of Wisden was published: The Little Wonder: The Remarkable History of Wisden, by Robert Winder (ISBN 978-1408136263). "The Little Wonder" was John Wisden's nickname. Editions Wisden is a small-paged but a very thick book (over 1,500 pages in modern editions) with a distinctive bright yellow cover that it has carried since the 75th edition in 1938. Prior to that, covers varied between yellow, buff and salmon pink. That edition was also the first to display the famous woodcut of two cricketers, by Eric Ravilious , [10] on its cover. It is published each April, just before the start of the English domestic cricket season. Since 2003 the woodcut has been replaced as the main feature of the front cover by a photograph of a current cricketer, but still appears albeit in a much reduced size.

It is produced in both hardcover and softcover versions. Since 2006, a larger format edition has been published on an experimental basis. This is said to be in response to requests from readers who find the print size of the standard edition hard to read. It is around twice the traditional size and was published in a limited edition of 5,000. It is not a large print book as such, as the print will still be of a size found in many standard books. From 2011 an Epub version, The Shorter Wisden, has been available in online bookstores. Described by the publishers as a "distillation of what's best in its bigger brother", it includes the Notes by the Editor, all the articles, reviews and obituaries and the reports on all England's Test matches for the year in question. Excluded are the statistics and other cricket reports contained within the Almanack proper. The format has changed markedly over the years. The first edition had only 112 pages yet found space to cover the dates of battles in the English Civil War , the winners of The Oaks and the rules of quoiting .

Contents The contents of a contemporary edition include the following sections: Comment Around a hundred pages of articles on cricketing topics, including the introductory "Notes by the Editor", which address often controversial cricket issues and always provoke discussion in the cricketing world. Awards The traditional Wisden Cricketers of the Year awards, which date back to 1889, and the Wisden Leading Cricketer of the World award, started in 2004. Records Traditionally the main source for key statistics about the game, although it has never attempted to be comprehensive. Nowadays the records section is intended to be complementary to the much more detailed data available online at Wisdens associated website ESPNcricinfo . English cricket By far the largest section of the book. Hugely detailed coverage, including scorecards of every First class game played in the previous English summer, and summaries of minor counties , second eleven, university, school and premier club cricket , as well as the Village Cup. Overseas cricket Full coverage of all international cricket and brief coverage of domestic first class cricket outside England.

Law and Administration This short section, 80 pages in the 2010 edition, has information about and addresses of official cricket bodies as well as the full laws of cricket , together with appendices. There are also details of meetings held by official bodies, including their major decisions, as well as articles about the Duckworth–Lewis method and Powerplays . The laws have been omitted from the most recent editions. The Wisden Review This section includes the Chronicle (noteworthy events from the previous year), reviews of other cricket books published in the year, noteworthy retirements and the highly regarded obituaries section among others. Book reviews and the Wisden Book of the Year John Arlott wrote the Books section from its inception in the 1950 edition until the 1992 edition, just before he died. Beginning with the 1993 edition the Books section has been written by a different person each year, often someone "with a literary reputation first and a separate enthusiasm for cricket". [11] The first such reviewer was J. L. Carr , and others have included Sebastian Faulks (1997) and Leslie Thomas (1998).

An award for the Wisden Book of the Year was inaugurated in the 2003 edition. The winners have been: Edition Lawrence Booth (2012 to present) Booth's deputy, promoted to the role of co-editor, is Hugh Chevallier. [12] Contributors As would be expected from a publication of such size and longevity, Wisden has had a large number of contributors. The majority involve match reports for the various fixtures recorded each year, but also biographies, reviews and opinion. Practically all the great cricket writers have written for Wisden, along with many great cricketers. Neville Cardus contributed many notable essays and for many years John Arlott was responsible for the book reviews. Five Cricketers of the Year Since 1902 (with the occasional exception) Wisden has honoured five cricketers for their outstanding achievements over the previous year. Further details, with a full list of recipients of the award, can be found at Wisden Cricketers of the Year .

Indices and anthologies At least two indices to Wisden have been published: Index to Wisden, 1864–1943 by Rex Pogson (1944) An Index to Wisden Cricketers' Almanack 1864–1984 by Derek Barnard (1985) An index from 1985 onwards is available in pdf form on the Wisden web site. [13] A number of anthologies of articles from Wisden have been published.

These include: Wisden Anthology by Benny Green (1979) Wisden Book of Obituaries edited by Benny Green (1986) The Wisden Papers of Neville Cardus (Wisden Papers) edited by Benny Green (1989) The Wisden Papers edited by Benny Green (1990) The Concise Wisden: An Illustrated Anthology of 125 Years edited by Benny Green (1990) Wisden Anthology: 1864–1900 edited by Benny Green (1992) Wisden Anthology: 1901–1939 edited by Benny Green (1992) Wisden Anthology: 1940–1963 edited by Benny Green (1992) Wisden Anthology: 1964–1982 edited by Benny Green (1992) Endless Summer: 140 Years of Australian Cricket in Wisden edited by Gideon Haigh (2003) The Wisden Collection: Volume 1 edited by Graeme Wright (2004) The Wisden Collection: Volume 2 edited by Graeme Wright

 (2005) Wisden at Lords: An Illustrated Anthology edited by Graeme Wright (2005) Wisden Anthology: 1978–2006: Cricket's Age of Revolution edited by Stephen Moss (2006) Style, design, graphical content and materials For the first 32 years of its existence the Almanack was only published in softback form, in a paper cover that varied in colour through the years between shades of pink, yellow and buff.

From the 33rd (1896) edition onwards hardback copies became available at twice the price of the softback. In 1889 the Almanack published its first photoplate, commissioned to accompany the Editor's nomination of six great Bowlers of the Year. From then on a photoplate appeared each year up to and including 1915. The plates were attached to an un-numbered page in the Almanack and had a tissue protector. They continued to show a number of selected players of the year except in 1896, when W G Grace was the only subject, and in 1913, when the 50th edition published no selections but celebrated John Wisden himself. After a two-year hiatus during World War 1 the plate reappeared in 1918, but as a mechanically printed image depicting five School Bowlers of the Year. The image in the 1919 edition continued to reflect wartime exigencies with its five Public School Cricketers of the Year before normal service resumed in 1920 with five Batsmen of the Year.

From then on, with four exceptions (see Wisden Cricketers of the Year ), the norm was to include an image of five Cricketers of the Year. It was not until 1938 that other photographs were introduced. From 1933 to 1939 the softback editions of the Almanack contained a cricket bat bookmark attached by the blade to the inside of the spine with yellow string. The bat handle of the bookmark is easily lost and softbacks with entirely intact bookmarks command a price premium. In 1938 the Almanack underwent some significant style, design and material changes under the supervision of Robert Henry Harling . [14] He introduced a new typeface and new designs for the front covers of both the softback and hardback editions. A yellow linen cover featuring the iconic woodcut by Eric Ravilious replaced the paper wrapper of the softback edition – a reason why softbacks from this time onwards are often referred to as "linens" even though they changed to a cloth-effect card binding in 1957.

The design of the softback from 1938 onwards is probably the one most associated with the word "Wisden" in the mind of the general public. There was a change to the orientation of the gilt lettering on the spines of hardbacks from 1941 to 1948. This was probably required by, and then a relict of, the slimness of the volumes published during World War 2. Excepting the 1963 centenary softback, the external appearance of both types of the Almanack then remained substantially unchanged until 1965 when the hardback was issued with a dust jacket. This was printed on yellow paper with the same design as the softback, giving a uniformity of appearance to both formats. Between 1965 and 1978 the woodcut and text elements of the softback covers and the hardback dust jackets were printed in a variety of colours before reverting to black on yellow from 1979 onwards.

Since that time some other changes have occurred to the style, design and materials: Between 1982 and 1984 the hardback dust jackets were printed on white paper Colour photographs first appeared in the Almanack in 1988 From 1994 the hardback dust jackets were laminated, making them more resistant to wear and tear In 2001 the layout of the front board of the hardback was changed In 2003 a new style of photo dust jacket was introduced, although readers were informed that those who preferred the "traditional cover" could order one free from the publisher. This offer did not last: from the following year onwards a charge was made for providing these covers. Minor changes of style have taken place throughout the Almanacks history, and are documented in a collector's guide that was updated and reprinted in 2011. [15] Facsimile editions Due to their rarity the early editions of Wisden, and editions published during the two World Wars, are expensive and difficult to come by.

Fortunately for the cricket historian, or the collector who wants to fill gaps without spending large sums of money, every edition up to 1946 is also available in facsimile form. The first facsimile set was printed by Billing & Sons in 1960. Approximately 150 softback copies were produced of each year from 1864 to 1878 and made available either as part of a set or as singles. The facsimiles are clearly marked with an entry in capital letters at the bottom of the title page: "Facsimile edition 1960 made and printed in Great Britain by Billing and Sons Ltd., Guildford and London". Lowe and Brydone produced another print run of the first 15 years in 1974. The run was limited again to 150 softback sets. These facsimiles are marked with an entry in capital letters at the bottom of the title page: "Second facsimile edition made and printed in Great Britain by Lowe and Brydone (Printers) Limited". In 1991 John Wisden & Co Ltd produced its own facsimile set in a distinctive yellow box.

This again comprised editions from 1864 to 1878 inclusive and was limited to 1000 sets. The individual books are not strictly facsimiles, and cannot be mistaken for originals, because although they include a copy of the original covers they are hardbound in red boards with "WISDEN FACSIMILE" in gilt on the front and the set number – "No. X of 1000" – on the back. Internally there is also an entry to the effect that the editions are facsimiles at the bottom of each title page: "This facsimile edition is published in 1991 by John Wisden & Co. Ltd. and printed by The Eastern Press Ltd., Reading". In recent years a more extensive range of facsimiles has been produced by the Willows Publishing Company Ltd. As of early 2014, softback and hardback editions up to and including 1946 have been published.

Like the Wisden facsimile set, the Willows softback facsimiles up to 1937 are hardbound, in tan cloth with gilt embossing, but from 1938 onwards they are true facsimiles with yellow linen covers. The hardback editions are also true facsimiles, with dark brown covers upon which the original gilt embossing is reproduced. Internally all Willows editions are identified as reprints at the base of the title page and limited edition numbers, where applicable, are also marked on the binding or cover. [16] It is worth noting that the first three facsimile sets reproduced the wrong back cover for the 1878 edition – they incorrectly showed a list of articles supplied by John Wisden & Co. The Willows facsimile contains the correct advertisement, for a book on Oxford and Cambridge cricket matches from 1827 to 1876. To celebrate the 150th edition, a facsimile of the 1864 edition was offered by John Wisden & Co as an incentive for those who subscribed to both the 2013 and 2014 editions.

[17] The facsimile offer was repeated in 2014 for those willing to subscribe to the Almanack by direct debit. This is not a true facsimile as the back cover does not reproduce the "List of Articles" of the original, but instead on the inside there is an advertisement for Wisden reprints from the Willows Publishing Company and on the back a celebration of 150 years of Wisden. At the bottom of the back cover information is provided about the reprint: "This reprint of the first edition of Wisden was produced in 2013 for the publisher, John Wisden & Co, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. Printed and bound by MPG Books." Collectors need to be aware that, in addition to facsimile books, facsimile dust jackets are available for editions of Wisden from 1965 to 2003 to replace those that have been lost or damaged. [18] They are also offered from 2004 onward as "traditional covers" that can be substituted for the original photo dust jackets.

Supplied by Wisdens "official dust jacket supplier", these jackets are laminated and are printed in black on yellow (unlike the original jackets issued with the editions from 1965 to 1978 that incorporated colour elements). Replacement dust jackets are also clearly distinguishable from the originals as they are marked on the back cover with the words "REPLACEMENT DUST JACKET". The same supplier offers traditional design dust jackets for editions from 1946 to 1964. Although these mimic the appearance of the softback covers they are not true facsimiles as the original hardback editions were never issued with dust jackets. Print runs The size of Wisden print runs is of considerable interest to collectors as rarity has a very strong influence on the value of individual editions. The most reliable, or rather most widely quoted, source of information on print runs is an article by Leslie Gutteridge titled "A History of Wisden" published in the 1963 Almanack.

[19] In this article the writer states that it had proved impossible to trace any printing orders earlier than 1936, having earlier mentioned that records had been lost during the Second World War as a result of two attacks on the publisher and Wisden's Mortlake factory. Despite the lack of early records Gutteridge notes that editions from 1889 to 1901, except 1896 and 1900, ran to two impressions (the word "impression" rather than "edition" is used throughout this section to avoid confusion with Wisden's use of "edition" in the book's title). He also notes in passing the rarity of the 1875 edition, though "not ... so scarce as the first issue of 1864", without providing specific details.

It is for the years from 1936 onwards that Gutteridge puts numbers to the print runs, providing either combined figures, or a breakdown of softback and/or hardback numbers, for each year to 1949: Year 21,000 10,500 After 1949 he notes that numbers diminished, although at the time he wrote the article sales of the softback and hardback editions were still 11,000 and 10,000 respectively. It is likely that these figures were greatly exceeded in the centenary year as the 1963 edition ran to three impressions. In more recent years sales of the 2006 edition exceeded 50,000 in total. [20] The size of the print run was based on the publisher's belief that England's successful Ashes campaign the previous summer would attract considerable public interest. Although unsupported by any reliable documentation, it is almost certain that print runs were reduced during the First World War. The 1916 edition, also containing as it does the obituary of W G Grace , is the most expensive 20th century Wisden.

The smallest recent print runs are believed to be for the years 1969 to 1971. While, again, the numbers are not documented anywhere there is strong support for this contention as these editions command higher prices than surrounding years. Collecting Wisdens Collectors and collecting strategies Collecting Wisdens is a popular activity among cricket followers, and early editions command high prices. The first edition, only 112 pages long, sold for one shilling . Rare copies of the early editions can sell for thousands. Collection strategies vary depending upon the individual collector's inclination and financial circumstances. A collector with unlimited funds might want to assemble the "perfect set" (*) – original softbacks from 1864 to 1895 and original hardbacks from then on – while others might collect combinations of hardbacks, softbacks, rebound softbacks and facsimile editions from a more restricted range of dates. Condition is important as an aspect of strategy, do you collect any year as quickly and/or as cheaply as possible or do you only collect near mint Wisdens (at a higher cost)?

A reference set, where condition and originality is secondary to the information contained within the books, can be assembled for a fraction of the price of a perfect set, particularly given the availability of facsimile editions from 1864 to 1946. An example of a complete collection can be seen on the website which holds pictures and valuations (realised auction value) of every year. 1864 added here. (*) Not all collectors believe this to be the "perfect set", it is certainly the most expensive but a run of all softback Wisdens would certainly be close to perfection in a collectors eye. Resources Although devoting most of its pages to a survey of the contents of Wisden from 1864 to 2010, the last 44 pages of The Wisden Collector's Guide [15] contains a significant amount of information of interest and practical use to the collector. The two main UK-based on-line resources for Wisden collectors are the Wisdens.org ( and Wisden Collectors Club websites (see External Links).

Facilities offered by the former are free of charge and open to all visitors (although its forum requires registration) while the latter charges a nominal annual membership fee for access to its main site. A Wisden archive is maintained by ESPNCricinfo (see External Links), offering access to some features, articles and international scores from the first edition onwards. The article "A history of Wisden" [19] prepared for the 1963 centenary edition is likely to be of most interest to collectors who do not have access to the original volume. Valuations A combination of rarity (perceived or known), condition, completeness and originality determines the price a collector is willing to pay for any given edition. Rarity arguably has the strongest influence on value as editions known to be very rare (e.g. those published in the periods when paper restrictions applied during both World Wars) are very much more expensive than comparable editions from the surrounding decades. Editions such as the 1916 containing the obituary and career details of W. G.

Grace ; 1934, detailing the ' Bodyline ' series of 1932–33; 1949, the Australian ' Invincibles ' tour of 1948; 1965, the first to have a yellow dust jacket: All are rare and expensive for specific reasons. Most collectors begin by wishing to collect back to a certain year; the year of their birth for example. There are many reputable Wisden booksellers and people with knowledge and experience that can help the collector along the way. Realised Prices Whereas many a collector or bookseller can provide a valuation of a Wisden, to achieve a feel for the price of an individual volume, a collector would be advised to look for previous sales prices, the main Auction Houses such as Christies keep a record of their sales and the information site has a list of previous auction sales that they collate. The auction website also lists their sale prices under the completed area of their website. Although please remember if you were bidding at the time the price achieved may have been higher. See also

Question: The last two editors of which reference book, known as the ‘Bible of Cricket’ have been Lawrence Booth and Scyld Berry?
Answer: Wisden (Cricketers’ Almanack)